Prayer on Christmas Eve
by AngelWing1138
Summary: A party is held on Christmas Eve, and as tradition in Bijuu, members pray for the fallen loved ones. Sasuke prays for Itachi this night. [Oneshot]


A/N: Short little Epilouge of 'My Demons' just to see how everyone is at Christmas time. I hope you enjoy this! The sequeal will start sometime in 2007, I'm not sure when. XP But you'll find it! Merry Christmas!

Disclaimer: Naruto and Co. belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

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Sighing softly, he looked out the window, fingers spread apart individually. He looked at the gentle snow falling to the ground, his eyes hallow and solemn. How could the world outside look so bright and cheery when his world was shattered and dead?

He felt arms wrap around his waist, and a pair of soft lips press against his temple, before he leaned back into his lover's arms, eyes closed. "You look lonely," Naruto murmured against his temple, and Sasuke sighed, opening his eyes as he continued to look out the window; his handprint now staining the clearness.

"I am lonely," he said gently, turning and wrapping his arms around Naruto, his hands gripping his shirt near his shoulder blades. "He's gone, Naruto…" The blonde sighed, holding his onyx haired lover tightly.

"I know; but it's Christmas Eve." Naruto smiled softly. "Smile for me? For him?" Sasuke looked up at him uncertainly, biting his bottom lip. The blonde leaned down, capturing those lips in a chaste kiss, before pulling back. "He'd want you to be happy tonight." Sasuke sighed, smiling and nodding, before he pulled out of Naruto's embrace, walking over to the others.

Neji was here for both Hinata and himself, since Hinata couldn't be there, ending up in the hospital. After her fight with Kidoumaru, she had tired herself out and had fallen unconscious. That was when they moved her to the hospital. When that had happened, Kimimaro was also moved to the hospital for better care. Iruka wasn't doing any better, but he wasn't doing any worse, either; he was awake but not really, talking to people that weren't there and ignoring the ones that were there. Delusional.

Shino sat with Kiba, who was holding a cup of eggnog; spiked, knowing the dog lover. Kakashi sat in the arm chair with his mask on, though he lacked the bandage. He had a Santa hat on, though, tilted in such a way that it covered his eye from sight; so, in conclusion, he was still shrouded in mystery. Sakura sat next to Neji holding his hand and talking to him softly; trying to comfort him about Hinata's condition. After Neji had revealed that Hinata had a special type of lung cancer, things had grown graver in the Bijuu gang.

Ino sat in the middle of Chouji and Shikamaru; Shikamaru forced to wear a Santa hat by Ino and Chouji wore a holiday-esque scarf that was candy-stripped red and white. He was eating a candy cane at the moment as well, while Ino had a piece of holly in her ponytail.

Naruto himself was wearing a Santa-esque outfit; a red jacket with a white fluffy collar and black pants with black combat boots, a white shirt underneath. He had on black fingerless gloves as well, and had a Santa hat tilted on his head. Sasuke had dressed little for Christmas; a red long sleeved turtle neck and black dress pants, a Santa hat shoved onto his head via his blonde who sat behind him on the chair, Sasuke himself sitting between his legs on the floor.

Sakura wore a girl Santa Claus outfit, which we all know what looks like, except she had morals and so the red skirt went to her knees. She also had long black Doc Martins©, and a barrette holding back the bangs on her left, with a sprig of mistletoe on it. When she had walked in, Naruto had immediately kissed her cheek, laughing at her blush and saying that she was standing under the mistletoe, making everyone laugh. She had blushed off the embarrassment, though, when Neji had come and kissed her soundly on the lips; earning a few whistles from Kankuro, who had taken in too much spiked eggnog, and Temari, who was feeling festive.

Everyone in the group basically had something Christmassy on, to get into the spirit of things. This was a Christmas party in honour of the birth of Jesus Christ.

And also in honour of the deaths that had passed not only two weeks before.

When the clock struck 9, everyone got up, and moved to a different part of Naruto and Kakashi's house, going into the darkened room. Naruto clutched to Sasuke's hand as he held a candle in front of him for both of them, the other members following their small light with their own candles. As soon as they came to the only area with light, Sasuke bent down in front of the makeshift alter, looking at the pictures on it.

There was a young boy he didn't recognize that looked very feminine, and then there was a picture of the male gym teacher Zabuza; except this Zabuza looked rougher around the edges. Many other pictures surrounded the alter, and the newest death was placed higher than the others.

Itachi's smiling face shone in the candlelight, and Sasuke's face contorted with held back tears. He then placed his and Naruto's candle in front of Itachi's picture, letting go of Naruto's hand; the blonde's face holding an eerie glow in the candlelight in front of him. Clasping his hands together, Sasuke bowed his head to prey.

"Lord, please accept my brother." He whispered softly. "Protect his soul…Let him be freed of his sins and worries and doubts. Let him know I'll be fine. It's the only thing I'll ever ask of you; make my brother happy." He then stood up, Naruto following him; his own face glowing softly, almost angelic. He then took Naruto's offered hand, and led him out of the room as the others placed their pictures in front of loved ones and preyed for them; he had seen a picture of the young woman, Rin Itsumi, and his own relative was on the alter before Itachi. Obito Uchiha…He had never known the man.

After about twenty minutes, everyone had crawled out of the room, and were back to light hearted festivities; even Sasuke was in a lighter in his mood than before. They played different games; charades, Trivial Pursuit©, and other such games. They even played Monopoly, Sasuke saying that Itachi would've ordered them to, anyhow. Everyone had to agree to that fact, and Sasuke won in the end; though he said it was actually Aniki, not him. Because Sasuke always lost at Monopoly.

The clock struck eleven when everyone sat around the couch, Kakashi placing in a movie. He said back down, clapping twice and the lights turned off. Sasuke sat on the floor in between Naruto's legs again, the blonde's arms resting on his shoulders. Sasuke held his arms quietly as they watched the credits. The movie that they were going to watch was _White Christmas_© with Bing Crosby. As Kakashi pressed play at the menu, Sasuke leaned back towards Naruto, and Naruto bent down and gently kissed the top of his head, looking down at the quiet boy.

"Are you happy?" He asked gently. Sasuke looked up at him with wide eyes, looking at him in confusion before he thought over his question. He then smiled a little, and nodded. "Good. Then come up here; it's warmer."

Sasuke sighed, clambering up into the seat and leaning against Naruto's chest, the other boy's arms wrapped around his waist lightly as they watched the movie in silence with the others. After about an hour of watching the movie, Sasuke got out of the seat, stretching out his back that was stiff from being in the same position for such a long time. He then turned back to the blonde still sitting, only to see him sleeping; no wonder it had been so easy to get out of his embrace.

He looked at the others to see that most of them were sleeping as well, but Neji was still awake, Sakura sleeping on his shoulder. He walked over to the Hyuuga, kneeling down in front of him and looking at him quietly.

"Are you two…?"

"Dating? Yeah; no one can't tell." Neji said, smirking as he looked at the pinkette napping on his shoulder. "She doesn't talk about it much, and I don't see the point, so…Ya know, no one knows." He then shrugged, closing his eyes quietly. "How are you?"

"…Fine." Sasuke said, looking away from Neji as he looked out the window again, the snow still falling down. "I don't try to think about it too much; but when I get home I know something's missing that's never gonna come back."

"I know the feeling; I lost my dad when I was little to a strange type of cancer that the doctors had never seen before. They thought they diagnosed him in the early stages, but…He died within two months of treatment; the chemotherapy just weakened him more." Neji sighed, closing his eyes.

"That's a horrible way to loose someone."

"I know," Neji said, laughing bitterly. "I'm loosing someone else to it now, did ya know? It's Hinata; she has the exact same thing. They actually caught it in its early stages, though."

"…That's good, then; she can be saved from it."

"Who knows; it's a different type of cancer, remember?" Neji sighed, closing his eyes. "But we shouldn't think of these things. It's Christmas Eve; tomorrow is the happiest day of everyone's lives, isn't it?"

"It's not the same."

"You prayed though, didn't you?" Sasuke looked at Neji oddly, raising an eyebrow in question. He then nodded slowly, and Neji smirked, eyes still closed. "Then it doesn't matter, now does it? If you prayed then you've paid your respects to Itachi, and now you can live on with your own life; the way it should've been last week."

Sasuke looked at him for a long time, standing up slowly.

"Merry Christmas, Sasuke." Neji said as Sasuke walked away. Sasuke stopped in front of Naruto.

"Merry Christmas, Neji," he said, nodding, before he bent over and shook Naruto awake. The blonde opened his eyes blearily, looking at him tiredly.

"Nn?"

"Shh," Sasuke said simply, before he bent forward, softly kissing him. Then he pulled back, and smiled at him softly.

"Merry Christmas."


End file.
